CLEMSON RECRUITING

Martin Aiken commits to Tigers
Martin Aiken puts on a Clemson hat during his announcement press conference Sunday.

Martin Aiken commits to Tigers


by - Senior Writer -

AUDIO: Martin Aiken press conference

AUDIO: David Hood's interview with Aiken's mother Amanda Brown

BAMBERG, SC - The Clemson Tigers picked up the 12th commitment of the 2012 recruiting class Sunday afternoon when Bamberg defensive end Martin Aiken Martin Aiken
Defensive Line
6-3, 240
Bamberg, SC

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, one of the top players in the Palmetto State, chose the Tigers over South Carolina and Georgia Tech in a press conference at his school.

The 6-foot-3, 245-pounder is a 4-star prospect who is listed as one of top 15 defensive end prospects in the nation by many recruiting services, and he attended Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney’s camp in Clemson earlier this month and came away with the Tigers as his leader.

"Every time I went there I felt at home," said Aiken. "It’s just a place that is real special to me."

He finished 2012 with more than 90 tackles and eight sacks. His coach, Kevin Crosby, says Aiken isn’t quite where former Bamberg players Ricky Sapp and Da’Quan Bowers were before they made it to Clemson, but he’s getting close.

“He is an explosive player that really came on as junior and played very well,” Crosby told TigerNet. “He is a maturing player. He has played for us for three years, and I think he will be a pretty good one with one more year of work. He is not right where Ricky and Da’Quan were at this time, but by the time we get finished with him this offseason, and he steps on the field in the fall, he will be right up there with them. He has a lot of upside to him.”

Aiken said following Bowers and Sapp wasn't a deciding factor, but it provides motivation now that he has committed.

"I knew I had to make the decision for me not them [Sapp and Bowers]. But it really gives you more motivation to know someone went before you and did so well."

The Tigers have picked up eight verbal commitments since May 23rd, with seven of those commits coming since the first session of Dabo Swinney’s camp.


Martin Aiken announcement press conference

2012 F O O T B A L L C O M M I T S
Name POS HT, WT Hometown (School)
Martin Aiken DE 6-3 240 Bamberg, SC (Bamberg-Ehrhardt HS)
Travis Blanks DB 6-1 180 Tallahassee, FL (North Florida Christian HS)
Zac Brooks ATH 6-2 180 Jonesboro, AR (Jonesboro HS)
T.J. Burrell LB 6-1 195 Goose Creek, SC (Goose Creek HS)
Patrick DeStefano OL 6-4 275 Roebuck, SC (Dorman HS)
Ronnie Geohaghan S 6-0 185 Fairfax, SC (Allendale Fairfax HS)
Jay Guillermo OL 6-3 285 Maryville, TN (Maryville HS)
Germone Hopper ATH 6-0 175 Charlotte, NC (Phillip Berry Academy)
Chad Kelly QB 6-2 205 Buffalo, NY (St Joseph's Collegiate Inst)
Shaquille Lawson DL 6-4 240 Central, SC (Daniel HS)
Bradley Pinion K 6-6 220 Concord, NC (Northwest Cabarrus HS)
Cordrea Tankersley ATH 6-2 195 Aiken, SC (Silver Bluff HS)

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